Serissa Foetida help

Calo182

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Hi all
I was recently gifted a Serissa Foetida bonsai for my birthday in November, and it was going all good up until a month ago when i noticed it was getting a bit brown and dry on some of the leaves and it isn't looking healthy. I live in Perth, Western Australia, where the climate is quite dry and at the moment the days are around 30 - 40 degrees celsius (about 95 degrees fahrenheit). Would there be anything you would recommmend i do and do you believe should have it in direct sun light or maybe try and put it somewhere where it gets the morning sunlight which isn't so harsh.
If anyone could help me that would be fantastic!!

Cheers
Callum :)
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Photos would help in case something more is going on. Serissa is a temperate-climate plant, used for loose hedges, so they’re rather hardy. They can take temps near freezing, but not much below. It should be outside in morning sun and some shade in the heat of the day, and watered very consistently, but not kept soggy. They do tend to drop a lot of leaves when moved around, but they recover quickly. Good luck.
 

Clicio

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I was recently gifted a Serissa Foetida. Would there be anything you would recommmend i do and do you believe should have it in direct sun light.

Hi, I live in Brazil where the weather is similar to yours.
I have killed some serissas by leaving them in the summer sun all day; now I let them get morning sun and afternoon shade. They are doing well now.
 

Calo182

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Thank you I'll give it a shot and see how I go
Hi, I live in Brazil where the weather is similar to yours.
I have killed some serissas by leaving them in the summer sun all day; now I let them get morning sun and afternoon shade. They are doing well now.
 

Calo182

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Photos would help in case something more is going on. Serissa is a temperate-climate plant, used for loose hedges, so they’re rather hardy. They can take temps near freezing, but not much below. It should be outside in morning sun and some shade in the heat of the day, and watered very consistently, but not kept soggy. They do tend to drop a lot of leaves when moved around, but they recover quickly. Good luck.
Ok sweet Ill send through a couple of photos I got up close but will have to take some more tomorrow.
CheersPXL_20201229_040419324.jpgPXL_20201229_040414728.jpg
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Is there any possible way of brining it back to life?
Dead is dead. If it’s not dead, it may try to grow again from suckers at the base, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
 

Calo182

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Ok so you would recommend just keep watering it for a few more days and see what happens?

Dead is dead. If it’s not dead, it may try to grow again from suckers at the base, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
 

sorce

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Seems like you obeyed usual things taught for watering.

Welcome to Crazy!

Keep it wet!

Sorce
 

Calo182

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Seems like you obeyed usual things taught for watering.

Welcome to Crazy!

Keep it wet!

Sorce
I sure have but I don't think I realised how crazy it would be until it may be too late
 

casun

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Is there any possible way of brining it back to life?
It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do.

Go through his clothes and look for loose change.
 

Calo182

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It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do.

Go through his clothes and look for loose change.
Ahaha so there may be a little bit of hope?
 

Shibui

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Serissa love to grow new shoots from the roots and base of the trunk. If there is any life left in it there will be new shoots in a few weeks. Just keep looking after it for a few more months to see if it will grow again. Not too much water now it has no leaves and cannot drink. Just check the potting mix each day by digging your finger down a cm or so into the pot. If the soil is still damp don't water until it feels a bit dry.
I never throw a dead tree out until it has had no leaves for 3 months of growing season.

Over here serissa do better with afternoon shade and protection from frost but they survive outside down to -5C in winter. The ones in the poly tunnel look better in winter so some protection helps. Over there winter should be no problem for serissa and full sun through winter will probably be OK.
The damage does look pretty severe in the photos but I hope there is still a spark of life somewhere. Good luck.
 

Calo182

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Thank you I'll try my best to get it back!
Cheers
 
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